George Lucas' Star Wars Will Return In 2027

Credit: Aurore Marechal/Abaca Press/INSTARimages Published Oct 17, 2026, 7:30 AM EDT Once head of Screen Rant's Star Wars coverage and co-lead of Superheroes, Tom Bacon now works with the movies and books teams. He's a lifelong fan of the fantasy and sci-fi genres, and loves franchises such as Doctor Who and Marvel. You can find him on Twitter @TomABacon, on LinkedIn @tabacon, or on Muckrack under tombacon. Tom has a wide range of interests, and he continues to serve his university as a volunteer chaplain. He's heavily involved with his local church, and anyone who checks him out on Twitter will swiftly learn he's into British politics too. Sign in to your ScreenRant account Next year, Star Wars officially turns 50. Nobody saw the success of Star Wars coming, not even George Lucas; he famously went on vacation in Hawaii just before the movie's premiere, largely because he didn't want to hear bad news. Lucas' friends doubted it as well, and only Steven Spielberg believed Star Wars would be a success. He predicted Star Wars would make an impressive $50-60 million in the global box office. In reality, it grossed $775.8 million — adjusted for inflation, an astonishing $3.8 billion. Lucas quickly pivoted, turning Star Wars into a franchise through The Empire Strikes Back. Ahead of that, for the movie's third re-release in 1981, Lucas made an edit. He added the subtitle "Episode IV," and officially called the movie "A New Hope." It was only the beginning of the changes he'd make over the years, releasing the Star Wars Special Editions from 1997. But now, at last, the original Lucas Star Wars is coming back. Disney Is Bringing Back George Lucas' Original Star Wars In 2027 Next year, the original cut of the first Star Wars movie is returning to theaters. Until last year, we all thought all copies of this had been destroyed; Lucas had previously insisted all his edits and changes were binding, and that previous versions had been destroyed. All that changed when the British Film Institute discovered an original 1977 edition. This was the original, unfaded dye transfer IB Technicolor British release print of Star Wars (1977), preserved in the BFI National Archive. The unedited Star Wars was shown at BFI Southbank and BFI IMAX in June 2025, and Lucasfilm subsequently announced the original Star Wars would return to theaters on February 19, 2027, as part of next year's 50th anniversary celebrations. Star Wars is even heading to IMAX for the first time ever, displayed at a select number of IMAX 70mm film locations as well as playing in select theaters for a limited time. The Biggest Changes George Lucas Made To Star Wars After 1977 MovieStillsDB Let's be clear; this isn't Star Wars as you know it. If you've watched Star Wars on DVD, Blu-Ray, or even on Disney+, you'll find this version doesn't have CGI (which didn't exist in 1977), there are far fewer stormtroopers, and Han shot first. When Han confronts Jabba the Hutt, he's a human, a continuity error Lucas wiped during the Special Editions. I grew up before the Special Editions, and this isn't even Star Wars as I've seen it; this is before "A New Hope," before "Episode IV." It's before a single unexpected blockbuster hit became a saga. The BFI showing garnered a mixed reception, though. The audience applauded when Han shot first, delighted at the most visible scene that proved this was indeed an original cut. But the print had been in storage since 1978, and it showed; even the score hadn't matched properly. Chatter on social media stressed that viewers had come to understand the Special Editions a lot more, recognizing subtle changes Lucas had made that improved scenes in surprising ways. Sometimes, the most important changes are the ones in the background. Why The Release Of Star Wars' Theatrical Cut Is So Important Lucasfilm has cleaned up the original cut, meaning this won't quite be what was seen at the BFI. Still, February 19 is a moment in Hollywood history, one I never thought would happen. Until 2025, Star Wars fans had literally scoured the globe for all mention of this original cut, trying to track down even the slightest mention. None had been found. We'd genuinely believed all copies had been destroyed, with Lucas insisting the Special Editions were the best representation of his vision. You have to understand that, in 2004, Lucas told the Associated Press that he was "sorry you saw half a completed film and fell in love with it, but I want it to be the way I want it to be." His attitude left fans outraged, and led to bootleg editions based on VHS releases and a poor-quality, low-res bonus feature released on a 2006 DVD. Now, at last, the world is going to see the original Star Wars in all its glory. Did George Lucas Want The Theatrical Cuts Released? Abaca Press/INSTARimages We don't know Lucas' view on this upcoming Star Wars re-release. Former president Kathleen Kennedy had previously insisted there would be no pre-Special Edition versions distributed, but Lucasfilm sanctioned the BFI showing. Kennedy herself took to the stage; "I’m here to make sure you don’t think this is an illegal screening," she said, to laughter from the crowd. Even she hadn't believed anything like this existed, until the BFI reached out. "I would say this is the film everyone starts with when we start talking about story, George’s intent and what it is we’re trying to build off of," she said. There's always been a certain tension with Lucas. Yes, this is the man who made the Special Editions. But this is also the man who went before Congress in 1988, arguing Hollywood's commercialism might lead to a future where the great films of the past were destroyed. "This would be a great loss to our society," he told them. "Our cultural history must not be allowed to be rewritten." I can easily see Lucas approving this re-release in a limited form, as part of the 50th anniversary celebrations, in honor of the original cut's historic significance. George Lucas' Star Wars Continues Elsewhere In 2027 This is only the beginning of George Lucas' Star Wars in 2027. Lucas' sequel trilogy plans — which involved Darth Maul as a crime lord and a Twi'lek apprentice — are becoming a reality in Maul — Shadow Lord season 2, 14 years after Lucas sold the franchise to Disney. It's a timely reminder that, 50 years later, Star Wars will always be George Lucas' creation. There can be no better way to honor the franchise's 50th anniversary. TV Show(s) The Mandalorian, Andor, Obi-Wan Kenobi, The Book of Boba Fett, Ahsoka, The Acolyte, Star Wars: Skeleton Crew, Lando, Star Wars: The Clone Wars, Star Wars Rebels, Star Wars: The Bad Batch, Star Wars: Resistance, Star Wars: Young Jedi Adventures, Star Wars: Visions Video Game(s) Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic, Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic II - The Sith Lords, Star Wars Battlefront (2015), Star Wars: Battlefront 2 (2005), Star Wars: The Force Unleashed , Star Wars: The Force Unleashed II, Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order, Star Wars Jedi: Survivor First Film Star Wars: Episode IV - A New Hope Cast Mark Hamill, James Earl Jones, David Prowse, Carrie Fisher, Harrison Ford, Daisy Ridley, Adam Driver, Ian McDiarmid, Ewan McGregor, Rosario Dawson, Lars Mikkelsen, Rupert Friend, Moses Ingram, Frank Oz, Pedro Pascal Created by George Lucas Movie(s) Star Wars: Episode I - The Phantom Menace, Star Wars: Episode II - Attack of the Clones, Star Wars: Episode III - Revenge of the Sith, Star Wars: Episode IV - A New Hope, Star Wars: Episode V - The Empire Strikes Back, Star Wars: Episode VI - Return of the Jedi, Star Wars: Episode VII - The Force Awakens, Star Wars: Episode VIII - The Last Jedi, Star Wars: Episode IX- The Rise of Skywalker, Rogue One: A Star Wars Story, Solo: A Star Wars Story, Star Wars: The Clone Wars, Star Wars: Dawn of the Jedi, Star Wars: New Jedi Order